implicature

[ im-pli-kuh-cher ]

noun

, Philosophy, Linguistics.

1. potential inference that is not logical entailment.

implicature

/ ɪmˈplɪkətʃə /

noun

1. a proposition inferred from the circumstances of utterances of another proposition rather than from its literal meaning, as when an academic referee writes the candidate's handwriting is excellent to convey that he has nothing relevant to commend
2. the relation between the uttered and the inferred statement

Word History and Origins

Origin of implicature¹

implicate + -ure